Volunteering with the Bainbridge Island Book Festival
The Bainbridge Island Book Festival would be impossible without the help of our devoted and passionate volunteers.
We have several volunteer opportunities available. If you’re interested in being a part of the festival, please read more about the positions below and fill out the form or contact us at hello@bainbridgeislandbookfestival.org
Set Up Crew
Set Up and Take Down Crews are critical to festival operations. This position may be taken on in addition to specific daily roles or signed up for independently. This role is perfect for those who can only volunteer a few hours!
Set Up crew may be asked to do the following:
Put up signage
Set up chairs and tables
Set up author stage dressing
Assist with food prep (venue specific)
Assist with vendor set up
Test venue audio
Greet early attendees
Hand out parking passes and direct traffic
Take Down Crew (Need!)
Set Up and Take Down Crews are critical to festival operations. This position may be taken on in addition to specific daily roles or signed up for independently. This role is perfect for those who can only volunteer a few hours!
Take Down crew may be asked to do the following:
Take down signage
Take down and stow chairs and tables
Take down author stage dressing
Clean venues and remove trash
Assist with vendor take down as needed
Return leftover books and festival materials to the bookstore
Volunteer Positions
Book Management
Ensure books are delivered to signing table staff prior to appropriate panels
Once books are signed, deliver ALL boxes to vendor tent and Eagle Harbor Book Co. as specified in the book moving procedure
Work with Eagle Harbor Book Co. staff to organize and tally boxes as needed
Festival Ambassador
Greet attendees as they arrive and hand out festival schedules and maps
Answer questions and provide informational support to the public
Assist Lead Volunteer as needed
Oversee email list enrollment and share links to social media
Information Booth only: sell festival merchandise
Volunteer Training date is Friday September 18th, a la carte one on one training available upon request. Contact Diana Wilson at diana@dianamwilson.com with questions. NOTE: Friday is fully staffed! We are looking for volunteers (especially those willing to carry boxes of books and take down chairs) for Saturday with a focus on afternoon/evening. Thank you to all!
Author Liaison
Staff the author lounge
Pick up coffee and set up breakfast spread
Be point of contact for author shuttle service in case of problems
Be an author point of contact if they need anything or have questions
Communicate with showrunners and Maddie about author status
Check authors in and escort them to their panels
Let authors know about lunch tab and post-festival gathering
Clean author lounge at the end of the day
Tech Support
Learn and manage venue audio systems including speakers, microphones, and other sound equipment
Set up and tear down audio equipment
Provide support to problem-solve audio or video problems
Set up screens or powerpoints as needed throughout the day
Be on call in case of technical difficulties
Volunteer Support
Maintain volunteer lounge and snacks
Check in volunteers and go over their position and station
Give out name tags
Oversee shift changes
Coordinate with Maddie and Volunteer Leads if any volunteers must leave early or if there are no-shows
General Volunteer
Report to Lead Volunteer, Signing Table Staff, and Book Management Team to assist and run materials or updates between venues as needed
Usher guests to their seats and manage reserved seating for those with ADA accommodations
Find Tech Support, Coordinator, and other specialty team members as needed
Oversee panel turnover
Fill seats in panels with low audience numbers
Signing Table Management
Flap books to prepare for each panels signing
Manage signing line organization
Pass out sticky notes for customization
Provide author support during signing
Ensure ALL copies of books are signed and pictures taken. Thank the authors!